Fixing Destiny
by Storyteller09
Summary: I think that dog rolled its eyes at me.' AU/AT story. Sheppard got food poisoning the day before that fateful flight in Antarctica; how will one Ascended try to set things right in Atlantis?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi, everyone. Been busy graduating, competing at state UIL, and turning 18. Oh and by the way? It was all in one week! Here's a new storyline I'm working on. It's not finished by a long shot, but here's a teaser. Warning, it's definite AU, but hopefully you can fill in the blanks. Tried to keep it a bit humorous, too.

**Fixing Destiny: Chapter 1**

"Damn it!" McKay fumed while Dr. Weir and I watched. Of course, he didn't know I was watching, but still. "I told you we should have brought Gen. O'Neill along!"

"Rodney." Dr. Weir chided. "We couldn't exactly drag a general along on a one-way trip. What's the problem?"

"It's Beckett." McKay stated right out. "He's just not cut out for controlling weapons tech and he's our strongest expression of the gene in the entire city. If those creepy Wraith guys decide to come for us, we're sunk. Literally. In fact, I don't know how we're gonna get through the week, let alone a year or more. We have no qualified pilots for those gate ship things and we barely made it to the surface in time. If that failsafe hadn't been there we'd have been crushed by the water intake after the shield collapse. AND we already lost Col. Sumner in an attack on Athos. That was a single dart Elizabeth. Can you imagine what one of those things that Teyla person calls a hive ship can do? We're dead."

"So you're saying we have all this tech and no one to control it?" Weir asked. "I thought Dr. Beckett was close to having a gene therapy that could potentially give everyone the ATA gene."

"All fine and dandy there, but no. He hit some kinda snag and his voodoo, however magnificent, isn't working. He needs a stronger sample of the ATA gene than O'Neill to figure it out. And right now we don't even have O'Neill much less a stronger expression." McKay explained at his normal, panicky rate. Weir seemed to follow and her eyes dimmed.

"Do all that you can without the gene. We have no way to reach Earth with the ZPM dead, so there's not a whole lot of options. We'll just have to figure out something." She dismissed the scientist and went out to the balcony alone. "God, I think we're gonna lose the city."

_Not if I have anything to say about it._ I thought to myself. It was time to get started and to hell with the coincidences. First things first: time to pick up the missing component.

* * *

"Who's there?" Maj. Sheppard was instantly alert. Luckily for me, his somewhat tense interactions with the rest of the McMurdo crew had led to him being given a private room rather than having to sleep with the enlisted men. It was little more than a storage closet with a bed, but it would do. I closed my eyes and sent out a wave of sleep. Even he wasn't able to overcome that. His eyes closed and his entire posture relaxed back into the same state he'd been in before I teleported in. I looked around, especially watching the other planes, to see if my interference had been noticed. Either it hadn't, or I was going to be allowed to do what needed to be done before the consequences caught up with me. I quickly took the major's arm, looked around the room for any supplies he would need and teleported everything right back to Atlantis. Step one complete.

"I really am sorry, major. But you have a destiny that needed to be fixed." I whispered as I set him down on the bed of the living quarters I had chosen. It was then that my punishment caught up to me. A strange, itchy sensation came over me and, a few painful jolts later, I was on all fours. Those freakin' sadists! They'd turned me into a DOG! I quickly assessed the situation and reviewed the conditions of my punishment. I slowly relaxed. It wasn't quite as bad as I feared, but still… a dog? Was that completely necessary? I nudged the major. He looked like he'd be out for at least a few more hours. He better be worth this. I trotted to the door and gave it the evil eye. I tentatively accessed my mental abilities and slid a phantom hand over the crystal. It worked. Yes! They'd left my abilities intact. Well, some of them at least. The really cool ones were locked, but at least I would get trapped in a room or anything. Talk about embarrassing. I began to lope down the halls, working my way to the control room. It took me a few tries to figure out the whole four legs thing, but I finally got going. I spotted a transporter and zeroed in on it. A quick mental command later put me right outside the gate room (or, as we had called it so many years ago, the gatrium). Several of the surrounding marines and scientists stared as I trotted by, but none got over the shock of seeing a dog in Atlantis quick enough to catch me. I walked right into Dr. Weir's office and jumped into the chair. Then, though I inwardly cringed at the indignity of it all, I got her attention. By barking. She nearly jumped out of her chair at the totally unexpected noise and stared at me. I barked again, softer this time, and whined. If only I had permission to speak with all of them, not just the man whose destiny I'd fixed, everything would be a lot easier. But no. I had to be a dog. If this was Danvere's idea of a joke I was going to be seriously pissed if I ever got back.

"O-kay." Elizabeth said slowly, trying to figure out just where I'd come from. I jumped down, walked to the door, and barked again. I swear I felt just like that Earth TV show Lassie. She stood and reached up to her comm. I shook my head and whined. If I got thrown in some kind of dog kennel or something we'd never get this sorted out. Her eyes widened at my reaction and I could nearly see the wheels turning in her head. I took a few steps and barked again. Now the entire control room staff was staring, but at least she got the idea. "Okay, then, boy, lead on."

"Elizabeth, what the hell is going on?" McKay's eyes looked like they were gonna pop. I gave a tail wag, and trotted to the transporter. When it opened I walked in, turned around, and sat looking at them. Wasn't anyone going to come in? And here Atlantis was run by the best. Things were not looking up. I rolled my eyes, barked, and jerked my head. In, idiots. I don't have all day. If Sheppard wakes up all alone in an alien city he's gonna freak. Hell, the way my day was going he'd end up shooting someone. I sighed. Finally Weir and McKay got curious enough to walk in. "I think that dog rolled its eyes at me."

"I don't think it's a normal dog." Weir pointed out. Success! I closed the doors and sent us to the closest transporter to Sheppard's room. I had taken into account his eventual desire to be a short distance away from a way to get to the control room and picked accordingly. Five minutes later I stopped in front of his door. I woofed happily as I opened it up and trotted in. "Where are we, Rodney?"

"They look like living quarters." Rodney glanced around, his eyes resting on the sleeping form of Sheppard. "Holy crap! There's a guy in here!"

"It must be an expedition member." Weir reasoned and reached for the lights. I jumped on the bed and laid down by his feet. I did her a favor and turned the lights on mentally. "Who did that?"

"Maybe the dog did." McKay replied sarcastically. I nodded my head and the two looked at each other in shock. "Oh… Hey, wait a minute, this section we're in hasn't even been explored yet. We didn't even know about the transporter thing until the dog led us into one. How'd this guy get here? And he doesn't look a bit familiar, though he does look like a grunt so I probably couldn't tell you."

"He's not someone I picked for the expedition. I reviewed all the personnel files. He wasn't in the stack." She answered. I nodded again. When they finally got around to radioing Dr. Beckett, I jumped up. The gurney finally showed up and I nearly wagged my tail. I was never gonna get over the laughter I was gonna receive if I got home, but hey, I was happy. A short trip to the infirmary later (though I'd had to snap at Bates's men to prevent them from trying to take me), and I was safely perched in a chair waiting with about half a dozen marines, Weir, McKay, and Beckett. Sheppard was good, but come on. Six marines? The guy was a pilot for Pete's sake! What was he gonna do, grow wings and fly outta here? I was tempted to roll my eyes again, but a sudden stirring stopped me in my tracks. He was moving! I straightened and barked at Weir. She instantly came over. "Carson, I think he's waking up."

"Aye, lass." Beckett came strolling up, looked at the guards and raised his eyebrows. See! I wasn't the only one who thought six marines was overkill. Sheppard blinked groggily and stared up at the ceiling. His brow furrowed in confusion.

"What the hell?" He stared at the brown-green ceiling. "That's not the same as when I went to sleep."

_No, duh._ I replied dryly. _Now get up, I'm tired of the whole Lassie impersonation. Oh, and welcome to Atlantis._

* * *

A/N: So… drop me a review, tell me if the story has any merit. I've got most of chapter two, so that should come up soon. My muse has made me almost forget my other stories for now, so we'll see what happens with this one.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: OK, maybe this chapter will fill in a few blanks. Glad to see so many like the story line.

Chapter 2

"Atlantis? What is that?" He pushed himself up and looked at the room. When he realized the number of guards he cocked his head to the side. "Why do I feel like I missed something really important?"

"We'd like to know how exactly you got here. And while you're at it, you should probably tell us your name." Weir began, looking grave. Sheppard instantly noted the authority in her voice.

"Umm, okay. I'm Major John Sheppard, USAF. As for how I got here, well lady, I don't even know where I am." Sheppard admitted freely. "Although, if you were trying to kidnap an officer to make the Air Force comply with any and all terrorist demands, you probably picked the wrong guy. I'm not exactly high on the food chain."

"Your USAF, but not affiliated to the SGC in any way? Seriously? Then how do you know the name of the city?" McKay broke in critically. Sheppard thought a second.

"'Cause someone said welcome to Atlantis. And something about Lassie, I wasn't all awake at the time." He looked around the room. "I have no idea how…"

_That would be me. _I barked to draw his attention. He tried to puzzle out who was talking. _The dog, genius. I'm the dog. And don't you dare say anything. It's not funny._

"Oh, I wasn't gonna say a word." He replied weakly. Now everyone was looking at him like he was crazy. "I think I'm hearing voices. Really weird voices. Have you doped me with something?"

_Oh, good Lord! You aren't drugged. Well, not anymore, but that was merely a tranquilizer to make sure I could get you here without a fuss. Sorry. Now the lady is Dr. Weir, the kind, Scottish guy is Dr. Beckett, and the really nervous yet intrigued guy is Dr. McKay. You can trust them. You're on Atlantis. And, since there's no way to get around this, you're in another galaxy. _I explained.

"Another galaxy? How the heck did I get here? I went to sleep in McMurdo!" He was starting to freak out.

"Who are you talking to, Major?" Beckett asked.

"The dog, evidently, Dr. Beckett." He responded.

"Oh, really. And just what does he have to say? I want Beggin' Strips? This is a top secret project you just snuck in on." McKay pointed out.

_Come on, people, I'm a girl, can't you figure this stuff out by yourselves? You figured out the Stargate, didn't you? _I complained, then reconsidered. _Although… that did take them all of fifty years. Tell them that I'm Ascended. They'll understand._

"Well, she'd like to point out that she's a she, not a he, thank you very much, and that she's Ascended, whatever that means. What's a Stargate?" He finally passed on my words. His confused questions caused everyone to zero in on me. I calmly looked back. McKay stepped forward and poked me.

_Hey! Do I poke you when you say you're human? Geez. _I barked.

"She didn't like that." Sheppard offered helpfully. I rolled my eyes as McKay stepped back quickly.

"Well, if she's an Ascended, then she's corporeal." He explained at Weir's questioning glance. I huffed. "So, you're an Ascended. I mean don't get me wrong, we were hoping to find an Ancient to help us out, but… you're a dog. And why do you only talk to the major? It would be a bit easier if we could talk without the unnecessary dialogue and confused questions."

_If you would, Maj. Sheppard, translate for me. As it was you I transported here, you are the only one I am allowed to talk to directly. And Dr. McKay seems to be under the mistaken assumption that I am here for him. I am here to help you and, hopefully by extension, this whole expedition. Now to cut down on the whole confusing questions, tell them to fill you in on the whole thing. On my authority. _I ordered. He relayed my request.

"Well, you see, about eight years ago…" Dr. Weir outlined the highlights of the SGC and the subsequent Atlantis Expedition. I listened, but it was pretty boring. I had been around during all of it, you know. I found myself focused on Sheppard's face. His incredulous look that he had gained when he figured out I was a dog hadn't left yet. It was kind of fun watching the slight shift from 'you've got to be kidding me' to 'holy crap, I think this is real.' "And so now we're at you and how exactly you got here."

_My turn. My name is Bri and I'm an ascended Ancient. And, before anyone asks, yes I'm a dog, but no, it was not on purpose. It's my punishment. _I waited for Sheppard to echo my explanation out loud. _I brought you here, Major._

"Why me? What do you want me here for?" He sounded adequately confused.

_Do you remember a few months back at McMurdo? All that fuss? You were on the duty roster to take General Jack O'Neill over to the ever-so-mysterious research base in the middle of Antarctica. BUT, you got sick the night before. Food poisoning, rare, but an accident I think. You got replaced by another pilot and the entire flight was moved back an hour. Just enough to prevent you from saving the general, getting clearance to go down to see the outpost, sitting in that stupid chair, and above all, getting to come here with the expedition. So I fixed it. _I stated proudly.

"Well, I'm just a lowly helo pilot down at McMurdo, but evidently I was supposed to save a general and receive clearance to sit in a chair and come here. Not sure why the chair is important, but a couple months back I did get a bad case of botulism. I knew I shouldn't have eaten that meatloaf. From now on I'm sticking with turkey sandwiches." Sheppard summarized. "And so Bri 'fixed it.' And why exactly did they turn you into a dog again?"

"She interfered." McKay pointed out bluntly. I growled and he backed up again. "Hey, not agreeing with the decision, just explaining their reason."

"That's… odd." Sheppard looked me over. "And is it just me or is the fact that she's a German Shepherd strike you as creepy?"

_It's not like I got a choice here! They picked a form that would prevent ease of communication with everyone but you, Sheppard. Mainly cause I'm supposed to make sure you don't get killed or something. They stripped me of my coolest powers leaving me only the boring stuff, but I'm supposed to protect you, got it? Oh, right, need to show McKay over there why you're here._ I mentally called the perfect gadget for show-and-tell. It appeared on the floor and I grabbed it. Of course, I had to use my mouth. Yuck! Trust me, dusty Ancient tech is not meant to be in anyone's mouth, much less a more sensitive dog's mouth. I jumped on the infirmary bed and dropped it in his hands. It lit up automatically when it sensed his super-ATA gene, showing us a stunning display of light. I sat on the end of the bed and grinned, well as much as I could. _Pretty, ain't it?_

"Did I do that?" Sheppard was bewildered by the sudden dancing lights.

* * *

A/N: Some lines are too good to drop. Classic Shep there. So… what do you think? Still worthy of a story? Do you have any ideas that I can incorporate into this? Also, I'm thinking of trying to AU the first season with my OC there. What do you think?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank all y'all readers who are reviewing; your encouragement is like Hershey bars! I'm glad so many are enjoying this story. Here's the next installment.

"Did I do that?" Sheppard was bewildered by the sudden dancing lights.

_Yep._ I nodded frantically and checked McKay's reaction. His jaw hung open and he didn't seem to be breathing. At all. _Umm, you better remind McKay that, since he's a hypochondriac and all, oxygen is a necessary part of living. He may want to breathe sometime in the near future._

"Right. McKay! Breathe!" The major promptly ordered. After a strangled gasp, McKay suddenly made a dash out of the infirmary. I raised an eyebrow. Okay, that was weird. The major cautiously set the gadget on his bedside table. "Now what's that all about? How did I do that?"

_You'll have to pardon McKay, Sheppard. You have the strongest expression of the Ancient Technology Activation, or ATA, gene as they call it, that they've ever seen. You see, my people were particularly choosy in who could operate their tech. You, by some good fortune, have both the gene and the required mental focus for activating my people's devices. It naturally threw a wrench in the works when you missed that all-important flight. It made such a mess of things that I could no longer just stand by and watch. It's for your sake and for Atlantis that I am now of the canine species._ I scratched an ear. _And I better not get fleas or there will be hell to pay, Sheppard._

"I'm sure that Dr. McKay will be right back. You seem to…" Dr. Weir broke out of her shock enough to answer Sheppard's question. He held up a hand.

"What? Have an alien gene that lets me control the technology of Bri's people? The ones you call Ancients?" He ruffled his hair and turned to Beckett. "Does this mean there are a whole bunch of needles in my future?"

_Sheppard! _I admonished. _You are extremely important. With your gene you can help him figure out the gene therapy. Trust me, a few blood samples can go a long way._

"Fine." The great Major Sheppard (for I had seen what he was capable of ) actually pouted. This 'assignment,' for the lack of a better term, was going to be the death of me. Though, would the others let me re-Ascend then? Nah, probably not. So… first priority: not letting myself and/or Sheppard die. Right, like that would be an easy job in the Pegasus galaxy when the guy I was protecting had a hero complex. I was so screwed.

"Well, lad, it would be extremely beneficial to get at least a look at your gene, especially since Bri here feels that you need to be here. Judging by the way you lit up that doodad, I'd say you may have a stronger expression than General O'Neill and he's the best Earth could find. Of course, the general couldn't exactly leave Earth, so… Well, let's say that if we can finally create a gene therapy to give to people, we'd be a lot better off." Beckett admitted.

"I know, I know." The major replied sullenly and stuck out an arm. As Beckett drew the necessary blood samples Sheppard finally commented on the number of guards. "Wow. You guys must have thought I was dangerous, huh? I'm just a pilot."

_Of course, you are a pilot with Special Ops training. Even though they don't know that. _I pointed out. Sheppard's eyes flicked to me and a ghost of a smirk flashed across his face. _Just wait until you meet Teyla, Sheppard. She'll knock you on your ass._

"It was just a precaution. You have to understand that we've already lost Col. Marshall Sumner, the head of the military contingent. The rest of the men are pretty wary of people who just drop in unannounced." Weir informed him. He looked at me pointedly and I shrugged.

_Would you rather be in McMurdo with all the idiots who think you're a maverick hotshot who decides which orders to follow 'cause he's smarter than his superiors? The ones who don't have a clue about why you have a black mark on your record, just that you do? The ones that you couldn't escape even though, since you were allowed a decision, you picked Antarctica, the absolute bottom of the world, to be assigned to? _I have to admit, I was a little harsh. It wasn't like I didn't know why he disobeyed. Hell, I even thought it was really noble. But he had to realize just how lucky he really was. _Sheppard, you have a fresh start here. You're a good guy and they need good guys here. They need someone who can tell 'em when they're not looking at what really matters. And above all, they need you._

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I was pretty much unconscious for the trip, so… blame Bri." The major pointed at me, but showed no sign of hearing my declaration. "She did it."

"While that may be, you're both here. And there's also the fact that, if you'll excuse my doubt, we don't know if she's actually Ascended or if you're just nuts. I mean that demonstration with the sudden appearance of the whatever-it-is was intriguing, but we've seen stranger things happen. When you spend this long fighting intergalactic wars you get suspicious of 'fortunate coincidences.' Sorry." Weir apologized. I barked and whined softly. Great. They didn't even believe me. A sudden claxon interrupted my consideration of this fact.

"Attention, unscheduled off-world activation!" A technician's voice announced. My head shot up, ears flicking forward. That was unexpected. Well, seeing as it seemed to happen a lot whenever the Stargate was involved, not a total surprise, but I was still curious what was going on. I used my newfound speed and agility to dart off the bed and scamper down the hall. I heard the others scrambling to catch up as I ran, but I ignored them. Question and answer time could wait until after we figured out who or what was coming through the gate. I arrived just as the wormhole formed in its normal kawoosh.

"Holy crap!" Sheppard spat out as he backpedaled. I had to admit, he was fast. I stared at the gate as the shield came up.

_Sheppard, meet gate travel. It's like pulling five gees in an open air cockpit in Antarctica. And you'll love it. _I waited for the gate tech to verify any IDC.

"We're getting an audio signal from Lt. Ford, ma'am." The tech reported as Weir finally caught up to us in the control room. "No IDC."

"Put him on." Weir ordered, scrutinizing our presence.

"Atlantis, this is Lt. Ford! We are under fire by what appears to be a Wraith hive ship. There are darts everywhere! I currently have a group of Athosians with me, but the rest of our people are still attempting to get the rest of them to the gate. We need some backup here, pronto!" Ford spoke quickly. We heard weapons fire in the background. "We're gonna try to clear the gate area; we'll call back as soon as possible. Ford out."

"Understood, Lieutenant." Weir was frowning, trying to think of a way to help without sending more good men to their deaths. The gate disconnected, leaving us in a sudden silence. Everyone was waiting for her decision. Everyone, that is, except a Major John Sheppard.

"Shouldn't you be ordering backup for him?" Sheppard questioned, incredulous. "You're not seriously thinking of letting them or the, what are they called, Athosians die out there. I don't know where the hell I am, but you're supposed to be an American military presence, right? And I'm damned sure that we don't leave our people BEHIND!"

* * *

A/N: Ooh, there's another good line. Hope you enjoyed this segment. Should I keep going? I do have two more chaps ready. :D


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: First off, I have to thank Ali D for her review. It was absolutely awesome, but I couldn't reply since it was anonymous. So… thank you for your inspiring words, Ali D. Now here's the moment we've all been waiting for: John and the Puddlejumpers!

Chapter 4

"Major!" Weir admonished. "We have no idea the technological capabilities of these Wraith creatures and what's more, we don't know how to fight them effectively. Any men I send could be walking into a slaughter."

_Actually, that's why you're here, Sheppard. Come on, we have a Puddlejumper to get. _I barked to get his attention and led the way.

"What's a Puddlejumper?" He asked as they followed. I brought them all straight to the docking bay and sat. "Whoa."

_Yeah, whoa. You called 'em jumpers for short, at least in the actual timeline, but these are the Puddlejumpers. You named 'em and you flew 'em. Their ships that are designed for stealth, modest defensive/offensive capabilities, and gate travel. Don't worry, you're gonna love 'em and should be a natural at flying them._ I responded happily. He put his hand on the closest jumper. I jerked my head, motioning for him to go in. He walked in, almost jumping when the lights automatically came on when they sensed his gene. I grinned wolfishly. Now this is how it was supposed to be.

"They fly?" He turned, eyes wide. Trust a pilot to catch on to that fact.

_Sit down, Major._ I replied confidently. The systems initialized and a simple thought had it hovering above the floor. _See?_

"This is cool." He grinned. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes again. I swear he was like a little kid.

"Major, can you really fly that thing?" Weir demanded after we touched down and lowered the rear hatch. She was a bit shocked at the sudden discovery, but didn't seem too opposed to the idea.

"They're called Puddlejumpers or jumpers evidently. Apparently, this is one of the many reasons that Bri here abducted me from McMurdo." Sheppard shrugged easily. "Now you have an advantage over those Wraith thingies. Look, I know you don't know me very well, or at all really, but come on. I can do this, I can save those people."

"Why would you do this? I mean, you've just woken up in a strange, alien city surrounded by armed guards. Why are you so quick to volunteer for this?" Weir pointed out, trying to understand Sheppard's motives. He winced.

"Hey, I'm a real trusting guy. Plus… I've got a dog that speaks to me in my head. How exactly do I explain that one? Look, Bri seems to know about a lot of stuff that you never mentioned and stuff that I've never told anyone. She brought me here for whatever reason and got punished for it. The least I could do is help out where I can." Sheppard reasoned. "I've always gone with my gut and my gut says you guys are in over your head, but you're okay people."

"And if we're secretly bad guys?" Weir joked.

"People are not all bad people. You've got to trust people sometimes." Sheppard insisted.

_Exactly._ I nodded in agreement. _That's just another thing they lacked. Someone to see the good side of things, but still handle the bad side. You know, Sheppard… you're pretty dang unique. And perfectly suited for the Pegasus galaxy._

"Thanks… I think." Sheppard tried to figure that out. At Weir's glance he tried to explain. "Just something she said. I think she complimented me. Either that or called me really naïve. But she still said that that's what this galaxy needs right now: a little trust. Will you okay the backup?"

"Sergeant, get the major geared up and get a team together." Weir decided, motioning to one of the guards. The man nodded and jogged off to get the appropriate equipment. "If you can pull this off…"

"Trust me, Dr. Weir. I'll bring them back." Sheppard reassured her. I barked in agreement. Sheppard raised his eyebrows and nodded. "We will."

_That's right, Sheppard. You can't get rid of me now. The others may have limited my abilities on Atlantis and other worlds, but they did leave one stipulation. If you are in danger, I may access a few of them to save you. I was the one to bring you here, now I must keep you alive. Which would be made considerably easier if you weren't so eager to sacrifice your life, but I'll take what I can get._ I watched as he suited up and grabbed a radio headset. _Tell me, do you always sleep in your BDUs? _

"You never know when the base you're in can experience an emergency. Always be prepared." Sheppard smirked.

"Oh, a boy scout and a flyboy. Great." McKay finally came walking in. "Where are you going?"

"To save people." Sheppard replied.

"What?! Save who? Are we in danger?" McKay panicked.

"No, the people on Athos, including Lt. Ford and his team, are under attack, Rodney. The major here is going to run the rescue mission. Did you need something? You vanished pretty quick earlier." Weir somehow kept from sighing in exasperation. Rodney got on a lot of people's nerves.

_And without saying anything. I think that makes one for the record books. _I joked easily. McKay was easy to pick on. _Don't worry, Sheppard. Once you get past the superiority/god complex and the severe form of hypochondria, he has a good heart. And, for some inane reason, you and he have the potential to become best friends. How you stand him sometimes, I don't know._

"I was retrieving some things I wanted the major to turn on. I figure, he can prove himself by helping me out. It really would be more helpful for me to have the gene, but… well… that didn't happen. Unfortunately." McKay trailed off, looking at me. I stared back. "And… if Rin Tin Tin here is an actual Ancient… well the possibilities are endless."

_Hey!_ I complained. Sheppard bit back a laugh. I growled.

"She doesn't appreciate the reference, Dr. McKay, and we'll have to talk later. We've gotta go now. Unless you want to join us?" Sheppard offered. McKay blanched.

"Uh… no, no. I don't do… um, well in uh… combat. The constant fear of death is not… good for my health." McKay stammered. I raised my eyebrows.

_Yeah, well. After the first few times you two save each other's lives he does lighten up. Some. I personally can't wait. I'm gonna end up biting him, Major._ I warned. Sheppard really did laugh then. McKay's eyes widened.

"What? What'd she say? Major, what'd she say?" McKay demanded to know.

"She's very enigmatic." Sheppard brushed him off and turned to me. "You know, it's really weird when you talk about what's gonna happen like that. Just lettin' you know."

_You get bored when you have ten thousand years and all you can do is watch people. I found a way to watch other universes and timelines, so I know what would have happened if you'd made that flight. Now that you're here though, everything should bear at least some similarity to the original timeline. It's hard not seeing what I know I should. It's why I acted instead of sitting by and watching._ I tried to shrug, but a dog isn't really made to shrug. Oh well.

"Are we ready to go, sir?" A sergeant asked, recognizing Sheppard's senior rank.

"Yep. Come on." Sheppard got the team situated in the back of the jumper while I took the copilot chair. A Sergeant Markham kinda stared at me before taking a seat right behind the major.

_Hasn't he ever seen a dog fly a jumper before?_ I asked. Sheppard glanced behind him and smirked.

"I'm thinking no, Bri." Sheppard replied as he started the jumper up. "Now how do I get to that circle thing?"

_It's called a Stargate, and the jumper is intuitive, Major. It has a mental component, remember. There's a bay door in the floor that leads to the gate room; think about opening it. _I watched as the floor retracted, allowing the jumper to lower into the gate room. Weir and McKay were already in the control room waiting for us to leave. The shimmery (yes, it is a word) event horizon of the wormhole was already established. _The jumper has the ability to cloak, become invisible. The fact that we're actually able to establish a wormhole with Athos is worrisome. The usual Wraith M.O. is to block outgoing wormholes by dialing in. They don't like their prey to escape. The fact that they haven't means they may be after us, or rather anyone from Atlantis. Col. Sumner has been in enemy hands to long. I'm not saying he's not strong, but the Wraith are telepathic and have the ability to probe a person's mind. It became less effective against us as we approached Ascension, but you're not as evolved as we were. The fact is that they may be searching for a way to find Earth. We can't let that happen._

"What happens then?" Sheppard cloaked the ship and we hurtled through the gate. "That was awesome! Cold… but awesome!"

* * *

A/N: This one has an ending that's a bit awkward, but, seeing as I've already written the next chap, it shouldn't be too long until Shep gets his answer. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Next chap's up. :D While there isn't quite the level of action I'd prefer, I am attempting to ease Sheppard into this whole wacky world. Oh, and I had to repost because, as Puddlejumper-38 kindly pointed out, I wrote tuna instead of turkey. I am ashamed at such a mistake (Shep would kill me for it), so I reposted. :D

Chapter 5

"What happens then?" Sheppard cloaked the ship and we hurtled through the gate. "That was awesome! Cold… but awesome!"

_Imagine a race with over fifty large ships that have a clear technological advantage over most of the Earth's forces. Now imagine that they're hungry and they feed on a human's life force. The Earth has over six billion people. It would be a Wraith's version of a buffet._ I informed him. He looked like he was about to be sick. _We can't let that happen. And yes, it is cold._

"Right. How do I…?" The major started to ask, then stopped as the HUD popped up. He considered this fact. "Oh. I wonder…?"

_No, Sheppard, it can't make you a turkey sandwich if you think about it._ I replied dryly. His face showed a trace of disappointment as he flew above the war torn Athos. There was a hive in orbit which meant that the Wraith were indeed awake. Which meant the Keeper had felt that there was plenty of food to sustain their numbers. In other words, Sumner talked. Maybe unknowingly, but he talked. The only saving grace right now was the fact that the Wraith were still incapable of intergalactic hyperdrive travel and that Atlantis had the only gate able to dial an eight chevron address. _That's a Wraith hive ship._

"Holy…" Sheppard muttered. "How are we supposed to fight that thing?"

_We're not. At least, not today anyway. Our job is to clear the way for Lt. Ford and to find the other group of Athosians._ I reminded him. The HUD showed the visible human life signs. I immediately identified two different clusters as the ones we were looking for. One was by the gate and the other was a short distance away. _You should set down by the second group. There are few enough that we can pick them up and then fire a few warning shots to allow Ford, the others, and us to escape._

"Got it." Sheppard agreed, angling his descent to land beside the four Athosians and the other three members of Ford's team. They were on their way to the gate, but were held up by a Wraith foot soldiers and the buzzing darts that were attempting to scoop them up. Sheppard lowered the ramp, keeping the jumper cloaked to avoid detection. I bounded out, followed by the rest of the men. Our surprising entrance provided a much needed advantage and we were able to kill the drones on the ground. Well, the soldiers were. Hello? I'm just a dog, remember? I don't think my marking the territory would scare the Wraith off. Yeah... not gonna work. The new people were stunned by our appearance from thin air and didn't move. "Hi! Those things are really creepy. And disgusting. Oh, right! Nice to meet you all. Now… let's go, shall we? This way."

"Who are you?" The corporal asked. He raised his gun and I growled in warning.

"Easy, Corporal. I'm new in Atlantis and it's a long story, but we've got an invisible spaceship. So… let's talk about this when we're back in the city, 'kay?" Sheppard finally convinced them that he wasn't a bad guy and showed them how to get in. I stood guard, watching for any movement while they got loaded. "We're ready. Let's get in the air, Bri."

_Right, Major. _I responded and loped back to the jumper. Once I got in though, I paused in recognition. It was Teyla. I barked and she hesitantly reached over and petted me. Yay. I sighed. It was not fun having everyone assume I was a dog. I went up to the copilot seat and jumped up as we took off. _Teyla's back there._

"The one who's gonna kick my ass? Cool. How do I…?" Sheppard started to ask, but was interrupted by a bright yellow light that shot from the engine pod and slammed into a dart. It exploded in a fireball. "Never mind."

_Uh huh. Told you it reads your mind._ I said smugly. Sheppard easily destroyed two more darts, then fired a drone into a group of Wraith that were pursuing the remaining people. Once they were clear, I dialed the gate, again thankful that I could directly interface with the jumper instead of trying to use my paws. I don't think Markham back there would have been able to hold in the laughter. _Tell Lt. Ford to enter his IDC. We can cover his six, then get through the gate._

"Right." He tapped his radio. "Um, Lt. Ford? You need to send your IDC code. This is your backup. We have an invisible ship hovering above your position, but with the number of darts, I don't know how long I can hold 'em off."

_Hopefully he'll trust you._ I remarked. Luckily, Weir overheard Sheppard's comments and backed up his story. She reported the shield was down and we stood sentry over the escaping people. Once the last person was through, we hightailed it. We arrived at a high velocity, but the inertial dampeners kicked in and prevented us from actually experiencing the extreme braking that Sheppard had to do to stop us from splatting into a wall. We rose up into the jumper bay and set down in an empty berth. _Come on, you've gotta meet Teyla!_

"Which one's Teyla?" He asked as he shut the engines down.

"I am." A voice spoke up, startling us. I had assumed that the others had already disembarked. The Athosian leader, however, had stayed behind. "How do you know my name, sir?"

"My name's Major John Sheppard, United States Air Force. I'm from Earth. And I know your name 'cause I've got a dog that likes to talk about stuff that hasn't happened yet. This is Bri, and she's an Ascended Ancient that got punished for bringing me here by being turned into a dog. It's… um, a species of animal we have back home." Sheppard greeted her, standing. She took in his easy posture and honest look. She glanced over at me.

"She is one of the Ancestors?" Teyla questioned. I barked and nodded. That's what her people called us, anyway. I had never actually had any kids, so it was more of an honorific than an actual ancestor-ship. She bowed her head. "It is an honor to meet you then, Bri. My people have long heard stories of your kind. I am sorry that you were punished for helping."

_Yeah, well, me too._ I bowed my head in return. She was the leader of the Athosians. I returned to my previous comment. _Ask her to spar with you. She can teach you a lot about bantos fighting. It's a really cool form of martial arts with sticks. She can even teach a lot of the marines a thing or two._

"I'm supposed to ask you if you'll teach me bantos fighting, whatever that is. From the sound of the anticipation in Bri's 'voice,' I'm thinking it'll be really painful." Sheppard led her out. Weir was standing at the bottom of the ramp. "Hello, ma'am. This is Teyla."

"Hello, Teyla. My name is Dr. Weir. I'm the leader of the Atlantis Expedition. It's good to meet you. Lt. Ford had informed me of your willingness to assist us, but I was sorry to hear that you did not feel comfortable coming to Atlantis. I know that Colonel Sumner could be a bit quick to judge." Weir nodded in greeting. I snorted at her assessment of Col. Sumner. "I understand the Wraith attacked in force?"

"Yep. Bri says they're telepathic and that they probably learned of a brand new feeding ground from Sumner: Earth. They didn't seem to realize that we had the capability of controlling Ancient tech, though. We managed to slip right through their fingers." Sheppard reported. Weir nodded.

"Thank you, Major. As worrisome as the fact the Wraith know about Earth is, it's good to see that you were able to help Lt. Ford's team." Weir turned back to Teyla. "Will you and your people be staying on Atlantis, or would you prefer we find you a new home?"

"Atlantis does seem like it is quite large enough to house my people…" Teyla glanced over at the major's steady look. "And I believe that not all of your people are as close-minded as the colonel was. He had an unsettling habit of looking, but not seeing me as a leader."

_Oh, don't put too much stock in that, Teyla. Sheppard looks at all the ladies like that._ I knew Sheppard wouldn't pass it on, but said it for his benefit anyway. _In the eventual words of one illustrious Dr. McKay: Kirk!_

"So…" Sheppard covered a snicker with a cough. "Does this mean I can stay? I mean, I'm not exactly sure where I'd go… I am in another galaxy, after all, but seeing as I have no way to get back to my assigned base, can I stay too?"

"Well, Teyla, I'm sure we can work something out." She assured her. Teyla smiled and followed the rest of her people. "As for you, Major, you need to go see Beckett about a post-mission check up. I'll have to talk to Lt. Ford about your position here."

"Right. I'll just… go get checked up then." Sheppard took off for the infirmary. I tagged along, keeping pace by his side. "So, wonder pooch, what are my chances of staying here?"

_Oh, I'd say pretty good._ I looked up at him. _You mean you haven't figured it out yet, Sheppard?_

"What? And call me John. I'm not your superior." Sheppard asked. We turned down yet another empty corridor.

_But you're theirs. Major is a higher rank than Lieutenant. _I pointed out. _You're the new commanding officer of Atlantis, John._

"Holy…" He stopped and stood stock still. I kept going and tried to keep the grin off my face. John called after me. "You do realize I can get us into all sorts of trouble, right?"

* * *

A/N: Hey, people! This marks the end of my version of 'Rising.' Next up? 'Hide and Seek,' of course. Ascended versus psychotic black energy monster. Yay! (Though keep in mind that I plan to adhere to the whole once you change one thing it changes the whole timeline kinda theory)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: So, sorry for the wait. I didn't mean for it to be so long, but I was out of town and couldn't get to a computer. But here's the first part of 'Hide and Seek,' please enjoy.

Chapter 6

_Are you gonna keep trying, or have you learned your lesson yet? _I asked as John slammed into the mat once again, Teyla's sticks at his throat. _Face it, John, it'll take you years to get to her level. Now be smart and ask her to teach you at least some basic moves before you begin sparring._

"Fine." He grumped. Teyla let him up and they bowed. While most of the expedition were unnerved by John talking to what seemed to be himself, Teyla was more at ease. I think it had to do with her people's apparent awe of my existence. Suddenly, I remembered. I thought back to the number of days since we had gotten here. Perfect! I jumped up and barked. "What?"

_Come on! It's been long enough. Beckett should have made the ATA gene therapy by now. Let's go see! _I called as I opened the door and headed for the infirmary. John caught up to me easily.

"Why? I don't need the therapy." He pointed out. I sighed as the infirmary came into sight.

_No, but __he__ does. _I stopped and nodded toward the people inside. McKay was sitting on the infirmary bed rubbing his arm and, as usual, complaining.

"So, how long 'til it starts working?" McKay followed Beckett as the doctor put up the syringe he had used to inject the therapy with. After a muttered answer, Rodney fiddled with the device he held. I grinned. He'd found it! Oh, this was gonna be fun. His nervous stance prompted Beckett to question him about it. We walked in and wandered over.

"Do you what it is?" Beckett asked in concern.

_I do._ I piped in. John raised his eyebrows. _It's a shield. You get to shoot him!_

"Uh, pretty sure." McKay responded, looking at it in anticipation.

"Bri says it's a shield thing." Sheppard called out. McKay waved goodbye to Carson and grinned at us as he left, heading towards his lab no doubt. We followed. "She says it's supposed to protect you when I shoot you."

"You're shooting me?! What? When?!" McKay nearly squeaked out. I let out a barking laugh, literally. His horror filled face was hilarious. We got to his lab and McKay worked his way to the other end. He watched us nervously, obviously waiting for Sheppard to snap and shoot him. "Why are you gonna shoot me?"

"Bri says that I get to. Though I think you're gonna want to put that shield thing on first." Sheppard chuckled.

"Oh, right. So it really is a shield?" McKay allowed his curiosity to overrule his fears and brought it over.

_Yep. This is one of the earlier models. It requires a gene to activate and can only have one operator. It hasn't been activated yet, though. It should work._ I explained. The major echoed my words. It was annoying that I required him to talk. I was even forced to stay in his room. Don't get me wrong, I did get some nice pillows and I had to admit that my roommate was hot, but it was frustrating for me to conform to a dog's body. I'd been a being of enlightenment, one of untold power. Now I was forced to rely on a sarcastic flyboy to relay anything I wanted to say. I didn't even get a radio. Turns out a dog's ear wasn't capable of carrying a human radio. The ironic part? Sheppard would probably never even know the whole story behind my sacrifice.

"So… put it on." Sheppard encouraged. McKay grinned and attached it to his chest. I watched in amusement as they tried several times to penetrate the rippling green screen and failed each time. Finally they got to the interesting part.

"Ok, I'm ready." McKay braced himself. "Shoot me."

_Idiots._ I remarked dryly. Sheppard looked over. _Have either of you thought about the ricochet? You're gonna end up shooting yourself, John. And I'm gonna laugh. I will frantically race off to get Beckett if it's serious, but I will laugh. A lot._

"Oh… I, um, forgot about that." John replied sheepishly. He explained to Rodney, then grabbed a table to duck behind. I mentally calculated the angle and sighed. I grabbed his arm and drug it down some.

_Not the arm. Let's go for the leg first, kay? Besides, it's not like he actually runs anyway. He's more likely to need his arm than his leg. Plus… that bullet would have bounced around until it hit you in the back. I'm supposed to make sure you don't die, remember?_ I corrected his aim. He nodded, aimed, and fired. The resulting bullet collided with the shield and then bounce off a few walls before burying itself in the table we were hiding behind. McKay's face was stunned, then ecstatic.

"That was awesome! Did you see that? It just bounced off! Oh, that is so… so… cool." He managed to spit out, grinning broadly. Sheppard matched his grin enthusiastically.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" John looked at him and then out the door. He smirked and motioned to McKay. "Come on. Let's try something else."

"Wait for me, Sheppard!" McKay called out and hurried after him. I groaned. This could only end badly. There was no telling how I'd affected this timeline and no guarantee that things would turn out the same. I sighed, rolled my eyes, and raced after them. I arrived just as they did, skidding to a stop in what was akin to horror.

"Ok, I'm ready." McKay announced. Sheppard nodded, then shoved him over the edge of the balcony. Several screams and numerous gasps rose from the shocked crowd. John just laughed.

"Did you see that?" He asked delightedly, turning to Weir and Grodin, who were rushing over, and back to me. I peered over the side and barked. I made sure Rodney was alive then burst out in dog-laughs.

"Yes. What the…?" Weir approached cautiously, probably wondering if the decision to trust Major Sheppard enough to make him the CO had been gravely mistaken. I sat there, half the time laughing and half the time trying to catch my breath so I wouldn't hyperventilate. Weir stared at me. "Aren't you supposed to be watching out for him?"

_Hey, I'm here for Sheppard, not McKay. Besides… he survived. _I looked up at John and grinned. _That was so FREAKIN' __AWESOME__!!_

* * *

A/N: There it is. I really like the first part for its humor, but I have to admit, I will be changing some things. I seriously believe that a talking dog would have an enormous impact on all the events in my timeline. It just seems to make sense.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I've been on a family vacation. And here's chapter 7. Yay!

Chapter 7

_Hey, I'm here for Sheppard, not McKay. Besides… he survived. _I looked up at John and grinned. _That was so FREAKIN' __AWESOME__!!_

"Wasn't it? Man, I wish we'd had a camera. I think I would've framed the photo." Sheppard speculated.

_If you didn't, I would._ I padded down the steps. Weir and the others gathered around Rodney as he stood up easily, dusting himself off.

"I'm fine, Elizabeth, really. See…" McKay filled her in with all the details and ended with a triumphant challenge. "Hey, Bri, bite me? No? You! Hit me."

_Do I really look that stupid?_ I pondered to John. Grodin, on the other hand, reared back and slammed a fist into Rodney's face. Unfortunately, it turned out the shield was still fully functional. Ouch.

"Ow, God." Grodin moaned, clutching his hand. I winced in sympathy.

_Ooh, painful._ I commented. I looked at it carefully. _Yep, he's gonna need Beckett. That hand's broken._

"You didn't have to swing so hard, you know." McKay pointed out petulantly. His voice didn't lose that trace of smugness, though. Sheppard bit back a grin with difficulty. Rodney's next words defeated John's attempts. "And notice, he didn't even hesitate."

_If there wasn't a shield device, I wouldn't have either. If only._ I remarked. Weir's face was still incredulous.

"So… let me get this straight. You decided to test this shield by having someone throw you off a balcony?" She was stunned by our utter lack of fear.

"Well, Bri did tell us what it was meant to do. And that wasn't the first thing we tried, believe me." McKay defended.

"I shot him." John announced proudly. Weir stared at him. He thought about what he just said and decided to clarify. "In the leg!"

_Nice going on the whole getting-them-to-trust-you plan. It worked so well._ I sighed and shook my leg. _Next time? Don't act so happy while telling people you shot someone. It makes them doubt your sanity._

"I'm invulnerable!" McKay sang out. Weir studied him.

"Aren't you the one who's always spouting off about how proper and careful scientific procedure must be adhered to?" Weir pointed out.

"Hello, invulnerable." McKay repeated confidently. Weir nodded slowly.

"Well, turn it off then. We've got a meeting, remember?" Weir turned away and headed back up the stairs.

"You're just jealous." McKay called after her. She looked back and raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, yes. I'm green with envy." She replied. I grinned.

_Nice. _I commented. Sheppard started to follow her, but I shook my head. _Wait for it._

"Wait for what?" Sheppard questioned. I jerked my head towards McKay. We watched as he reached up and attempted to remove the device. His hand was stopped by the shield.

"This could be a problem." Rodney gulped. He tried again, but was still rejected. "Oh crap. I can't get it off."

_Nice try there, Rodney. _I wagged my tail. John reached out to try also, but no luck. _You may have a super gene, but that doesn't help you get through the shield. Duh._

"Just checkin'." Sheppard shrugged. I glanced around and noticed something, or rather a lack of something, that made me stiffen. Sheppard recognized my stance and was immediately on the alert. "What is it?"

_Sheppard… where are the children? They're supposed to be here._ I whipped my head around, hoping that I'd missed them. _Something's changed. Sheppard! Where's Jinto?!_

"I don't know. Bri, what's wrong?" Sheppard detected the hint of worry in my voice. Everyone was gathering around, all except the ones I was looking for. Sheppard turned to Weir. "She wants to know where Jinto is."

"Jinto? Isn't he one of the Athosian children?" Weir asked. Sheppard nodded.

"Yep. I've been, um, telling them horror stories." He frowned. "I'm not sure they really get it, though. Do you know where he is?"

"The Athosians were running around down here, but I requested they stay close to their living quarters for now. Why?" Weir was puzzled, but I was too distracted to care. Had I changed things that much already? Could Jinto and Wex have gotten bored so soon?

_Tell Weir to call Halling and find out if he knows where Jinto and Wex are. And right now you need to follow me, Major._ I ordered. He repeated my words and followed me as I bounded up the stairs. I found the closest transporter and sent us to one of the many unexplored areas of the city. Once we exited, I immediately began trying to locate Jinto. To my chagrin, my greatest hindrance was now my greatest asset. A dog's nose is nothing to laugh at. Fear rolled through me as I first detected the boy's scent and then the smell of hot ozone. _Crap! It's out. Sheppard, stay behind me, got it?_

"What's out? And why?" John protested. I didn't answer, too busy sprinting down the hall. When I got there, though, I realized my mistake.

_Uh-oh._ I mentally swore at myself. How could I have been so idiotic? I thought quickly. I had screwed up royally. Now I had to protect Sheppard. _Get Jinto. NOW!_

"What the hell is that?" John stared at the large black cloud in confusion. He wisely went ahead and slipped in to grab Jinto. About the time he touched Jinto, the cloud seemed to surge. I recognized the danger automatically. I sent out a prayer and whipped in front of the others.

_Get him out of here._ I commanded. He didn't move. _Don't worry about me._

"Come on, Jinto, let's go." Sheppard tugged the boy to the door. The cloud followed the larger energy source. It still wasn't picking up on me; the two humans in the room put out more energy than my dog body did. I snarled and leapt in front again. It wasn't getting to them.

_Keep going._ I ordered.

"What are you gonna do?" John asked as they edged over only to be mimicked by the cloud. I concentrated briefly. This was considered one of those 'oh shit' moments where the others actually let me do something useful. I barked and, in the space of a millisecond, shifted from all dog to half dog half _power_. The glow-y white tendrils normally associated with my people wrapped around my dog form. I snarled again in warning.

_It's looking for power and I'm a five-course meal. In other words… I'm the bait. Now get Jinto away from here._ I explained. I braced myself as the cloud surrounded me. Then… yeah, pretty sure I screamed. And passed out. I swear, the things I do to keep Sheppard safe.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, this end part doesn't make much sense, but I promise the next section will have more answers. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Here you go._

_Chapter 8_

_I am such an idiot._ I groaned out and whined. A rustle of fabric beside me made my ear twitch.

"Hey, Doc, she's waking up." Sheppard's voice called out. I was lying on my side and made the natural assumption that I was in the infirmary.

_Really, John? What was your first clue? The fact that I'm talking or the ear twitch?_ I remarked dryly without opening my eyes. I didn't really fancy facing anyone right now.

"Somebody's snippy." John commented.

"Hey! I just walked in!" Rodney's voice held a note of confused complaint. John sighed.

"Not you, McKay, Bri is the one who's snippy. At least this time anyway. Don't forget, I've seen you without your coffee. And I've only been here about a week." John pointed out. McKay harrumphed and then had to nod.

"Well, it would be easier if I wasn't surrounded by idiots all the time." He huffed out. I rolled my eyes without opening them. I finally got up, stretched, and jumped off the bed. Luckily the power I had used as bait for the energy wraith had protected me from being shocked. I was just really sore. "Look, I've got an idea that I wanted to run by you, Bri. We're thinking about getting a generator…"

_Don't ask me. I obviously have no idea what I'm doing._ I growled out. They didn't need me. I was a moron. AND I had risked Sheppard's life. I trotted stiffly to the balcony door and left them staring at me as I went out. I glared out at the ocean and yelled out every profanity known to man and some they hadn't even discovered. When I had exhausted my somewhat expansive vocabulary of obscenities, I flopped down on the balcony and groaned. A second later my musing was interrupted by the swish of the balcony door. I flicked my eyes to the side to watch Sheppard sit beside me, his legs dangling over the edge. I waited.

"You know, being a dog that magically talks in my head does mean that you can't really expect a closed door to block out what I hear, right? And, um… what exactly did that fifth one mean?" He finally spoke up. My eyes widened involuntarily and I looked up at him in shock. Oh. Oops. Well… this was awkward. I thought back to what I'd said and, had I been a human, I would have blushed. Luckily, I had fur. Now there's a sentence I never thought I'd say in my life and I've lived over ten thousand years. Go figure.

_I'm not really sure you want to know what that means in English. And I'm pretty sure it loses something in translation._ I replied, looking away.

"Ah. Then… I don't suppose you want to tell me what that was all about, huh?" Sheppard speculated. I shot him a glare and he raised his hands defensively. "What? It's not like you can talk to a shrink! Or anyone else, for that matter. I'm the only one who can hear you, or have you forgotten that?"

_Fine! You want me to talk? Well, here. Do you realize how insanely close you came to dying? To having every drop of energy in your body being zapped out of you? _He shook his head slowly. I continued on. _And the worst part? It would have been all my fault!_

"How would it have been your fault? You didn't do anything wrong. Heck, you even did that whole glow-y thing that made it go away. How is this your fault?" Sheppard asked. I growled in frustration.

_It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I had it all planned out and everything. I was gonna tell you to establish a place for Jinto and Wex to play so they wouldn't find that thing. It was that easy. But it all got messed up. Jinto wasn't supposed to play hide and seek until tomorrow. __I __was supposed to have another day before I had to worry about that thing. I don't know what kind of idiots left that creature laying around anyway. I mean really, I know they went to Earth after I Ascended, but who decided to not throw out the trash? If you think about it, it's really disgusting and rude._ I smiled and he raised his eyebrows at me. I sighed and got back to my previous topic. _But evidently my presence screwed this timeline up. And then I was a complete idiot. I mean, asking you to come with me to find the big, black monster from hell? That was stupid. While it ignored Jinto because as a child he wouldn't give out much energy and he was close to the trap, I brought it you: a full-grown adult. Even that wouldn't be as major a thing if it hadn't just woken up. It was hungry enough to drain you and Jinto dry. I was a fool for allowing this to happen._

"You can't possibly foresee every calamity that can happen to us." Sheppard reasoned.

_But I should! I did! What do you think I did as an Ascended? We weren't exactly allowed to do anything real, so we watched. A lot. I should have seen this coming. I should have known._ I was angry and had somewhere along the way started yelling. John winced as my mental voice became a shout. _But I SCREWED UP!_

"Okay, just stop." Sheppard demanded, rubbing his head in exasperation. "The way I see it, you Ascended people are like really powerful, right? And you were one, right? And then they turned you into an animal for actually helping out. Yet you still blame yourself for saving me from an energy wraith? One that would have escaped anyway? Remind me how this is your fault."

_One of the first things we learn in, like, second grade temporal theory is that by changing one event can completely alter an entire timeline. And quantum theory class taught us that the very act of observing can change the outcome of an experiment. When I brought you here and got turned into a talking dog, coupled with the fact that I had really only seen timelines where you made it here on your own, it changed so many things. I should have known. I had infinite knowledge, John, I should have known this would happen._ I whined out pathetically. His brow furrowed in thought.

"You had a second grade temporal theory class? That seems like a bit much for a second grader." He commented thoughtfully. I rolled my eyes.

_We built a giant, flying city. We made crystal rocks that glow and can easily power the entire Earth for hundreds of years. We did everything big._ I said in exasperation.

"Ah. Why had you only seen timelines where I got here on my own? I mean, didn't McKay say that there were infinite universes?" He asked. I tried to bite my lip. It didn't really work that well. Stupid dog mouth.

_What's so special about that? _I tried to brush him off. Another look and I sagged. _Fine. Look, I get bored easily. Most of the timelines without you just kinda ended badly. They'd blow up Atlantis or you'd be dead, or stuff like that. In one you actually managed to stay married to Nancy long enough to have a kid. Little boy, really cute._

"What happened?" Sheppard leaned forward, interested.

_She cheated on you. You got divorced and somehow she still got the kid. Don't ask me, that's not the timeline I decided to fix._ I spoke quickly trying to get the bad news over with.

"Well, that sucks. I knew I shouldn't have married her." He answered calmly. I could still tell he was mad though.

_The point is, you're needed on Atlantis. You've got your team as your family. Beckett's about the only doctor you trust to stick you with stuff, Weir's the only one who can make you behave, and hey, in this timeline you've even got your own Snoopy, Charlie Brown. Woof, woof. _I joked.

"That's great and all, but… Snoopy, you can't stop everything. I mean, come on Bri, you're not exactly in a position of absolute knowledge anymore. You're trapped a dog's body, for Pete's sake! I don't expect you to keep every little bad thing from happening. You've already helped so much. We can't ask any more than that." Sheppard reassured me. I whined and he reached over to scratch me behind the ears. I finally relented and sighed in contentment. Hey, a dog's ears are very sensitive. "Now… about that generator idea. I know you didn't get to hear it all, but it could work."

_Yeah, I know. It'll work… kinda. And, hey, you'll get to see McKay have a chance to step up and actually be the brave one. But everyone should be fine._ I stretched and stood back up, my face level with his. Then… I ran my tongue over his face, just to let him know that I was, or at least would be, okay. It struck me as I trotted back into the infirmary that I was a bit like Sheppard in that respect. We both disliked discussing stuff. _Now go save Atlantis. Again. And tell Rodney that I still count it as fainting._

* * *

A/N: I know, I know, a little more emotional than you'd imagine, but hey. Bri just got thrown down to a doggy and mortal life, she needs a little adjustment to not being omniscient. And her realization about the effect she has on the timeline helps explain why she has to let some events just happen or risk not having a clue what's going on. As for the rest of it, well, I'm going to assume that you've all seen the episode. It works out the same. :D


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This is the first chapter of one of my favorite episodes ever: 38 Minutes. I'm excited… are you? :D Thanks for reading!

Chapter 9

_Get up._ I huffed out as I leaped onto Sheppard's bed. He snapped awake, nearly throwing me off. I yelped. _Geez, it's just me. I didn't mean to freak you out._

"What? Oh, Bri. Sorry." He apologized as he ruffled his hair. "It's just reflex. And why are you waking me up at 4:55 in the morning?"

_It's not like that watch of yours wasn't gonna wake both of us up in five minutes anyway. You're just lucky I haven't hidden it in a pocket dimension yet._ I growled out. His face showed that, as alert as he was, he wasn't up to understanding pocket dimensions at five in the morning. _Never mind. Come on, get up. You've got a briefing to give. Or rather, I'm gonna give it and you're gonna just repeat what I say like a good little boy._

"Somebody's cranky." Sheppard mumbled as he got up and went to get ready. "When do you want this meeting of yours? And who's gonna be there?"

_Well, you probably only need Weir and McKay for now. And since it's those two, any time is great. Elizabeth is the kind of person who works herself until she drops, and McKay… well let's face it, I'm not sure that he even sleeps. But for practicality, let's say nine-ish. _I watched the sleepy major throw some water in his face and grab some running pants. The guy actually ran miles every morning. I was starting to seriously doubt his sanity. I shook my head and sent a message to Atlantis to keep an eye on his life sign and tell me if he was heading into any potentially dangerous areas. I may have four legs, but I wasn't about to tag along. Sheppard used those runs to clear his head and escape; I wasn't gonna interfere in that.

* * *

Four hours later I strolled into the conference room, glaring daggers at anyone who got in my way. God, I was turning into McKay! CRAP!

"Hello, Bri. Major Sheppard said you wanted to speak to us about a mission." Weir greeted me, as diplomatic as ever. I nodded stiffly.

_We're going to the Wraith's hibernation planet. _I threw it out there, making John's eyes widen involuntarily. The others immediately read the situation and tensed.

"What'd she say, major?" Weir asked patiently. He swallowed quickly.

"She wants us to go to a Wraith planet." He explained. I growled menacingly.

_No, I don't __want__ us to go. We have to go. I am duplicating what happened in other timelines to insure that I know the gist of what's coming. That doesn't mean I have to like it. _I spat out defensively.

"Okay, we're going and Bri is not happy about it. Apparently we have to stick to the timeline so she can still know what's coming next." Sheppard relayed.

"Yeah, Sheppard, the whole growling and glaring thing would otherwise mean it's her birthday and she doesn't want us to know." McKay snarked. "It's pretty obvious she's pissed."

_Tell him to shut up or I'll take a sizable chunk out of his leg. I'm not in the mood. _I snarled out. McKay, without even knowing what I'd said, visibly shrank.

"Let's just leave that issue alone then shall we?" John joked. I sighed.

_We're going where you would have gone to rescue Sumner, Teyla, and other Athosians and soldiers if you'd been here the first time. It's where you would have shot Sumner to spare him the pain of being fed on by the Caretaker and then summarily killed her and awoken the entire Wraith network. If that's not enough, this is a very stupid risk that we wouldn't be doing unless it meant not knowing what's next. And it does._ I outlined why we had to go, but left out what was might happen. I had to prevent it. I had to.

"Oh." Sheppard paused while he took this in. The others waited for an explanation, but he merely shook his head. "Okay then. Who do we take?"

_You need all of SG-1: you, Teyla, Lt. Ford, and McKay. Also Sgt. Markham and Stackhouse. And I'll be coming along._ I ordered. Hopefully we wouldn't need the backup pilot, but it was better safe than sorry. Sheppard did relay that and Weir reluctantly, as she disliked the risky nature of the entire mission (I had to agree with her), set up a mission briefing for later that afternoon. I trotted out, still fuming. Sheppard followed. After we had gotten far enough away I stopped. _What?_

"If you want to tell the others that you need us to do this, then fine. But you will tell me why you're so angry." John demanded. Stupid temporal theory.

_No. No, I won't. I'm gonna let this play out up until… what I fear is going to happen, happens. And right before that, I'll stop it. There won't be another energy wraith. I will stop this._ I promised.

"You can tell me. I can help." John tried to reason with me.

_The only way you can help is to do exactly what I say, when I say it. Okay?_ I knew I was being a bit harsh, but I didn't want him to suffer the same fate as he had other times. _You have to trust me. I'm trying to help._

"Why is this such a big deal? What is on that planet? What's at stake?" He wouldn't leave it alone. I stared at him sadly and gave in to his need to know.

_Your life._ I replied simply and walked away.

* * *

A/N: Ooh, dramatic. A bit shorter than normal, but I felt it was a nice place to stop. What'd you think? I also had to post this without finishing the next chapter because I just moved into my college dorm room (YAY) and am now sick (GROAN *cough*). I am still working on this though.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I know, been quite a bit of time since I last posted anything. Sorry, still adjusting to college. This one may be a bit shorter, but at least I posted.

Chapter 10

I didn't go to the second briefing. I know, a tad petty. I didn't feel needed. I mean, I'd already said what I was going to say. They knew it was a Wraith planet, they knew who was supposed to come. I had enough on my mind worrying about bugs and accident-prone soldiers. That meant the next time I saw Sheppard, we were preparing to leave. He was subdued, which probably meant he'd figured out how important it was for him to listen to me. As we flew through the gate, I couldn't help but try to warn him. _Sheppard, should we get separated, watch where you run. Okay? Promise me that._

"I promise." He nodded, finally taking me seriously. I took in his face and nodded back. I was still angry, but the closer we got to that damn planet, the more scared I got. I had promised I'd keep him safe and I didn't really count an Iratus bug as a viable 'safe' option. I knew that, should the worst happen, I could get the sucker off at least one way. Of course, killing John would mean facing her disappointment. That was something I never wanted to see. Hopefully I still remembered my courses in animal behavior and anatomy enough to successfully remove the giant, life-sucking tick, but I didn't want to take my chances. I couldn't help but remember, if John Sheppard was involved, bad luck followed. We landed and cloaked. "Now what?"

_Now I have to see if the Caretaker felt that Earth was easy enough prey to wake everyone right away or if she decided to wait and invade Atlantis herself._ I hopped down and opened the rear hatch. I sniffed and tried to scent any unknown dangers. Nothing. Not yet anyway. I jerked my head and they spread out, covering the area quickly. I tried to stay close to Sheppard, but still scout what was coming up. It was an unhappy medium. When we finally reached the crater, they stopped in disbelief.

"What the hell was there?" McKay was shocked by the massive hole in the ground. I'd forgotten that he hadn't been with us when we'd seen the hive ship above Athos.

"I'm guessing a hive ship." Sheppard replied shakily. Clearly seeing one above you in orbit and standing beside the physical imprint of one in the dirt was not the same. It put a lot of things into perspective. Suddenly I cocked my ears just as Teyla raised her head. She had sensed what I had thought I'd heard. But where? Wait… there. Footsteps. It was them. I let out a low growl, alerting the others to the danger. Sheppard whirled, instantly on guard, while McKay visibly jumped at the quick movement.

_We have company. Probably Wraith. Get down._ I ordered crisply. Sheppard immediately motioned for the others to take cover. I slunk off, my brown and black fur providing me some modicum of camouflage. The Wraith hadn't located us yet and were still attempting to sneak around, but I managed to find them. I treaded carefully and successfully returned to the others. _Yep, it's them. Stay close. Try to make sure McKay keeps his mouth shut._

"Right." Sheppard nearly breathed the word out, relying on my sensitive dog hearing to pick it up. It was child's play. I lead them silently back to the jumper, getting about halfway before we were spotted. The stun blast narrowly missed Sheppard's head as he ducked. I snarled and threw myself forward, desperate to stop this chain of events. The jumper couldn't be damaged. It was a hectic scramble to get back to the relative safety the jumper provided. When I got there, I instantly cloaked it and led the others in. I looked over the group and felt my hopes sink.

_Where is Sheppard? McKay? Where are they?_ I ran to the exit looking for them, but no one could hear my thoughts. Finally, Teyla figured out what my worried gaze was looking for.

"Major Sheppard and Dr. McKay were cut off from us. They are coming as soon as they are able." Teyla attempted to reassure me, but I immediately flew out of the jumper as fast as my paws could take me. The only sounds I heard were my jagged steps and fast panting. My senses were focused solely on the forest around me, straining to pick up any sign of John or Rodney. Or for that matter, any Wraith. A low sound, almost below my own sensitive hearing had me swerving to the right. A quick run had me almost on top of them before I knew it. I nearly collided with McKay as Sheppard pushed him forward. They both ducked as another stunner blast flew past there heads. Well, Sheppard ducked and drug McKay down with him. The scientist sputtered and his chest heaved. I'd forgotten how out of shape he was when he first came to Atlantis.

"Hi, Bri. Having fun?" Sheppard questioned as he returned fire.

_Oh sure, Sheppard. You nearly gave me a heart attack!_ I growled out. It wasn't really his fault; his motto of not leaving anyone behind meant he had to stick with the slowest member of the group: Rodney. _Everyone else is back at the jumper. I've cloaked it and started the engines. All we're waiting on is you._

"Right. Let's go, McKay. He motioned for the scientist to move and provided cover fire before following. I paced him, anxious to spot any enemy Wraith coming. I was so focused that I failed to see where McKay was going. A sudden curse beside me made me snap my head around in horror. "McKay, watch out!"

_Sheppard! _I yelled as he threw himself forward. Time seemed to slow down as he jerked McKay's arm backwards, away from the ominous web. His own momentum propelled him forward though, and he slammed through it, the Iratus bug chittering in distress as it was pulled onto his jacket. The bug, sensing its new prey's proximity, immediately twisted itself into position. I dove forward in a last ditch attempt to avert its aim. I leapt, jaws wide, and tried to yank the thing away. I was a split second too late. It latched onto the Major's neck and tightened its hold. I impacted them both, sending them thudding into the ground. My open jaws closed on its soft underbelly. I released as quickly as I could, but the damage was already done. Sheppard's eyes went wide and his hands flew up to the creature. The guttural scream through his clenched teeth told me how bad it was. Sheppard didn't show pain unless it was bad enough that a sane person would be screaming about their arm had been blown off. _Oh crap._

***

A/N: Ooh, I couldn't resist. I know she's supposed to change things, but do you really think I could pass up a perfectly good opportunity for pain? I'm working on the next chap, so I'll give you fair warning. It may take a while, but it's coming.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: First round of tests? Done. Thankfully. Not great (they are my first real college level tests) but all passing. I think. Pray for me, readers! In return, I give you the next chapter. Note: some langauge.

Chapter 11

"Oh my god!" Rodney squeaked out, terrified. He was staring at the bug with a sick look on his face. Sheppard was panting now, trying to control the intense pain I knew he had to feeling. His eyes slid halfway closed as his brain tried to cope and he reached up to try to pull the bug away.

_Stop! DON'T touch it, John. _I gently pulled his hand away. He looked up at me, confused and close to panicking. _It will only cause it to release a massive dose of its paralytic compound._

"Huh?" Sheppard's voice was breathy. I had definitely done some damage by trying to catch it. I grimaced.

_It'll make you go numb faster._ I translated. _And that's not a good thing, trust me._

"You sure?" Sheppard seriously tried to joke. I rolled my eyes, though worried, and shook my head.

_No, 'cause then it kills you faster too._ I explained. He grimaced.

"Are you okay, Sheppard? What'd she say? Oh god, you're gonna die, aren't you?" McKay jumped in, watching our exchange with interest. I nearly snarled in contempt of his pessimism. He shrank back, but only minutely. Sheppard was doing him some good then.

_I won't let that happen. I won't. You've got to believe me. I promised I'd keep you safe and I will._ I vowed insistently. Sheppard nodded and held his arms at his sides, fists clenched. _Call Ford and have him come get you. We can't take you back with that damn bug on your neck, but we can at least get you to the relative safety of the jumper._

"McKay, call Ford. Bri, why can't we take me back?" He continued as McKay got on the radio.

_You don't want to have that thing pissed off at you and the drastic change from this side of the wormhole to the other is bound to upset it. And if not that, Atlantis is surrounded by ocean and thus by salty, humid air: salt water. They fear that with a passion. Iratus bugs, the overgrown tick on you, equate fear and anger with the instinct to dig in deeper and drain more life out of you._ I spoke uneasily, shifting slightly. There was a slight sound in the background and I whirled. It didn't sound like Ford or Teyla. A flash of white hair and a stench of death had me growling. McKay was then scrambling to pick up his weapon which he had put down for some idiotic reason. I bounded off and, in a fit of uncharacteristic rage, leaped on the unsuspecting Wraith. Oh, sure, he was on guard for humans, but throw an angry German Shepherd at him and he was flat on his back. I may or may not have given him a mental shove to help. When I was touching him though, I found out something extremely interesting. I realized that Teyla, though she had petted me briefly when we had first met, had respectfully kept her distance. I could hear the Wraith mental network through contact. It actually made sense if you really thought about it. The others had let me keep my telepathy intact to speak with Major Sheppard, therefore I would be able to speak with other telepathic beings as well. I processed this info and then projected to the Wraith network. _Let me get one thing straight. Anyone who tries to harm these humans risks my wrath, got it? Tell your queen bitches to chew on that. And as for you, drone boy, well I'd stay down until we've left. Or you may just find out what'll happen to those who piss me off._

_Who dares threaten us? _The hissing voice came from the drone, but sounded way too intelligent for him. He was channeling the queen. I snarled mentally.

_I do. Now leave them alone. _I spat out and backed up, considering the danger the drone posed. He had gotten up quickly but stood there as the queen tried to recognize me. Finally he started forward with typical Wraith arrogance. Not that the other Ascended weren't arrogant, they just had better reason to be. They had power, the Wraith had learned arrogance from being the top of the food chain for far too long. I glared at him and sighed. I then barked, sending out a mental wave with the sound. He crumpled to the ground, never to move again. I could only hope that the queen had been still connected to feel his death. A wave like that could potentially scramble her brains for a good while. I trotted back up to McKay and Sheppard, praying the jumpy scientist wouldn't shoot me. He didn't, but it was close.

"What's going on? Was is Wraith?" He asked, jittery with adrenalin. I kept my gaze on Sheppard and my mental voice emotionless.

_It was._ I replied and went to check on the bug. It was finally calmed down after the initial struggle to dominate the prey's movements. I could also tell that the paralytic was finally taking effect as well. Sheppard nodded at my report, then continued grimacing as he looked at his feet. _You can't feel them, can you?_

"She took care of the Wraith, Rodney." Of course his first thought would be to reassure others. "And not really, no. But you said that would happen, right?"

_It is normal after an Iratus attack yes, not exactly welcomed, but to be expected. Ford's almost here. _I added that last bit on as I heard a distant movement. A few minutes later revealed Ford and Teyla. They ran up and stared in horror at the sight of Sheppard on his back. 'Course the tick on his neck probably didn't help much. _Yeah, yeah, scary, creepy crap, I know. Can we move now? Please?_

"Bri would like us to move. Now, preferably." Sheppard gasped out. Ford nodded and moved to grasp the major's shoulders. "Careful of the bug. It doesn't like being touched. Real antisocial creature."

_Get him to wipe his hands off. There may be sweat on them and if he brushes up against the bug… sweat is salt and water._ I warned. Sheppard paled at that thought and instantly relayed the order. Ford complied and carefully lifted him. Teyla grabbed his legs and they, awkwardly and painstakingly, made their way back to the jumper. I trailed them nervously, watching Sheppard's face for any signs of pain. Well, any extreme amounts of pain. It couldn't be pleasant to bitten by the Iratus. We finally made our way back to the still invisible jumper, and, after Stackhouse led us in, they were able to set the major down on the jumper floor. I closed the door, allowing him to prop himself up on it. We were pretty much done with the whole recon mission anyway. I took in his pale face and trembling limbs, those that weren't numb. I sent a mental plea to the others. Nothing. Not even she could help me out with this. I whined softly and hung my head. _Tell them to get the defibrillator._

***

A/N: Short, but still effective. I know Bri gets a little scary there, but I'm hoping you realize that she's mad at the whole situation, plus scared that Sheppard's gonna die. I'm going to post this immediately because I'm trying to appease readers and my own frustration at not writing. Hope you enjoy!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Resolutions!!! Yay! Math test was eh. Didn't fail, but didn't do as well as I'd hoped. Still, it was my first college-level math test. Thanks for all the support! Here's the final chap of 38 Minutes.

Chapter 12

"That bad?" Sheppard asked, concerned. I whined and looked at him, devastated by what was about to happen. He nodded and relayed the request. As Ford pulled down the kit I realized it had a lot more stuff in it than seemed practical for a first aid kit.

_Is this a full med kit?_ I looked over the items. It had IV bags and tubing, syringes, large dressings, and almost an entire doctor's arsenal. It was not the one they usually had in the jumper.

"Thought I'd plan ahead. Figured when you said my life was on the line I was gonna get shot, not bitten. I went ahead and pulled the first aid kit and replaced it with the whole shebang. Now why do we need the defibrillator?" He groaned out. I nodded stiffly at his forethought, wondering why I hadn't thought of that. Too much worrying and not enough planning, that's why. Just as I was about to answer, I was cut off by McKay's return to the rear compartment. He was holding an unwrapped, yet untouched power bar. He seemed to be analyzing it.

"Does anyone know if they have citrus power bars?" Upon the groans that statement received, he shrank back and bit into it carefully. His face cleared as he tasted the obviously chocolate bar. His expression of intense relief momentarily distracted me from answering Sheppard.

_What would he have done if it did taste like… SALINE!!!_ I shrieked, the epiphany startling me in its simplicity. I darted back to the med kit. Would it work? Maybe. Would he die? Probably not. Eh, that was good enough for me.

"If the power bar tasted like saline? Huh?" Sheppard was understandably lost.

_No, not the power bar! You!_ I was practically tripping over myself, trying to dial Atlantis mentally. This was close to my field, but I needed to consult an expert. _Tell them it's you, but to not lower the shield. I'm sure some idiot dart thinks we just dialed them an easy way to Atlantis. Get Beckett on the line and explain what's happened so far. I need to ask him something._

"Right. Got it." He was still panting sporadically, but his eyes had taken on this glazed, far-away look that told me a large part of his body was numb already. He repeated my instructions, glossing over the seriousness of the situation. Damn warrior stoics.

"Aye, ok. Bri, what do you need?" Carson's voice came over the radio as brisk as ever. The man was scared to death of gate travel or weapons platform (how he'd bypassed the failsafes at the Antarctica outpost and fired a drone still had me confused), but he was the pinnacle of efficiency when it came to someone needing medical help.

_Ask him what the maximum concentration of saline human physiology can handle is._ I shifted impatiently, waiting for the reply.

"A normal saline solution is less than one percent sodium chloride, I would nae go much higher than that. Unless the patient is has a low enough sodium intake, a hypertonic solution would be too much for the body to handle." Carson answered, not really following my train of thought. I considered it carefully. We could try it at least.

_All right. I may have an answer that doesn't necessarily contain you dying. Iratus bugs, like I mentioned before, hate saltwater. Almost fear it even. If we can put enough saline into your system to change the 'taste' of your blood, for lack of a better term, the bug should release you. Just like McKay would have spit out the power bar if he tasted citrus. It wouldn't even have to be a drastic amount. If we can put in enough of it at once, it'll overwhelm the blood cells as it passes by the bug, effectively giving it a straight shot of saline. Instinct will make it act like you're the closest thing a bug has to a devil._ I revealed my plan, slightly miffed at the simplicity. Sheppard frowned in concentration as he listened, then finally cleared.

"Cool." He grunted out, obviously pleased with the idea of the bug off of him. He informed Beckett of the plan and, after receiving his tenuous support, ordered Ford to hook him up. The kid nodded, but stared at the needle in his hand like he had no idea of what to do. Probably didn't. Sure almost all military fields were given field training, but inserting an IV wasn't exactly something a soldier was expected to have to do in the middle of a battle. Teyla didn't have a clue as to what an IV was, and McKay would probably faint of the thought of the blood. I sighed and sat down, my eyes half lidded as I accessed a very particular skill set. It was allowed, probably because they'd refused me any other method of saving him. I neatly plucked the needle from the lieutenant's hands and pulled Sheppard's arm out with a mental tug. It only took me a few seconds to find the vein and insert it. Good, I hadn't fallen out of practice. Sheppard still winced. "Ow."

_Oh sure, the dog just used its mental powers to telekinetically hook you up to an IV and you're complaining that it hurt. All while you have an Iratus bug stuck to your neck. I'll have you know that my previous patients, though it has been about ten thousand years, never complained._ I told him briskly. He raised his eyebrows.

"You were a doctor?" He asked, interested. I shook my head and laughed.

_Nope! _I grinned. _I was the equivalent of your veterinarian, even at my young age. My patients never said a word._

"Great. I feel much better." He replied sarcastically. "Isn't it McKay who claims Beckett's a sheep doctor?"

_Hey, if you'd rather have Ford trying to stick you several times trying to hit a vein, go right ahead. He isn't trained for IV insertion._ I raised an eyebrow and waited for something to happen. Anything.

"I could have done it." Sheppard pointed out.

_Sure, Mr. Special Forces. Can you even move your fingers? _I asked, doubtful. A single twitch answered me. _Yeah, that __really__ would have worked, John._

"Has anything happened yet?" Beckett's voice reminded us of the task at hand. I stared at the bug, willing it to give up.

"Nothing yet, doc." Ford responded.

"It may take the saline a few minutes to circulate through his bloodstream and reach a high enough concentration to impact the insect." Beckett reassured him. Sheppard sighed.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that if we wait too long, it won't matter anymore." Sheppard pointed out. I grimaced and nudged his limp hand.

_Come on, Mr. Positive. That's not gonna happen. I don't break my promises._ I told him.

"I'll have to take your word for it… hey." Sheppard's voice was a bit concerned, but his expression startled. The bug was moving again, complete with its strange hissing and chittering. I jumped up, scared that it was trying to grip his neck harder, when it suddenly emitted a harsh clicking sound. I stared at it as it seemed to almost leap from the major's neck. I pounced, ready to kill it before it could find a new subject, but it merely seemed to curl up and die. "It worked!"

"Is it dead?" Ford asked. He couldn't see it as I had leapt after it. I sniffed carefully and grinned.

_Holy crap, it __is_ _dead. I didn't think salt water could do that to these suckers. _I thought a second. _Oh! The constant avoidance of salt water for the last ten thousand years must have made the bug's system intolerant to even the slightest bit of salt water. When it ingested the saline, it literally poisoned itself._

"She said it's dead, Lieutenant. Bri, are we good to go?" Sheppard was still laying down, but sounded stronger.

_Well, you'll have to visit the infirmary until the venom dissipates in your system, and we'll have to make sure there aren't anymore darts around the gate, but since I made sure the Jumper wasn't damaged, we still have the cloak. Let's go home._ I wagged my tail, relieved that the ordeal was over. Life-and-death situation averted.

***

We made it back in one piece. Obviously. The darts had either tried to go through the wormhole and been disintegrated by the shield or had given up. It was simple to get home. Beckett leaped on the Sheppard and the bug, intent on healing and, in the bug's case, dissecting. The rest of the men gained a new insight into Sheppard's toughness, while McKay had the fact that Sheppard had shoved him out of the way of the bug, effectively sacrificing himself. He'd even come with Teyla and Ford to the infirmary to see him. I spent a little while with him, but as the night went on, I found myself drawn to Teyla's room. I felt obligated to tell her. I finally worked up the nerve to ring the chime. She was in and, when she saw me, she was understandably confused.

"Bri? Do you need something? Should I call Major Sheppard?" She reached a hand to her radio, but I shook my head. She knelt down to be on my level. I offered a paw and she took it, though hesitant.

_Hello, Teyla._ I spoke softly, not wanting to scare her. I also made sure that Sheppard, who was currently sleeping in the infirmary, couldn't overhear me. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"How is this possible? I thought you only spoke with the major." She was astounded.

_I can only do so when we are physically touching. The reason for this is why I needed to talk to you. You see, I am capable of tapping into telepathic networks, as are you. This may seem hard to comprehend, but I assure you, there is nothing to fear. In past generations, a Wraith attempted to make a food source that would provide more sustenance than a normal human. He spliced Wraith DNA to human DNA. His subjects, however, gained the ability to tap into the Wraith neural network. He abandoned them. Some went insane, others were killed by Wraith who feared their ability to sense the thoughts of Wraith, while others were ostracized to other planets. One of them was your ancestor. Thus you have Wraith DNA. It is what gives you the ability to sense the Wraith coming._ I tried to explain the situation as best I could. Her eyes grew horrified.

"I am part Wraith?" She whispered.

_It is only a small part. No more than John is an Ancient. By now the DNA has been all but bred out of you, leaving you with nothing but the ability to sense Wraith and tap into their neural network if you practice. It is actually an advantage, one that Atlantis will need in the upcoming years. I felt you deserved to know._ I reassured her. She looked troubled, but still nodded. _It would have been discovered in the future, but I believe that you should know now. I ask that you trust me when I say that there is nothing to fear. And that I won't be telling Sheppard. It is your decision and I won't tell him something so personal. There is no risk to Atlantis for now. I would like to offer to meditate with you. It is something that my people did daily and provides you with a better understanding of your mind. With practice you can learn to speak mentally and, in the distant future, have enough focus to control a Wraith._

"I would be honored if you meditated with me, Bri. You are positive that my DNA won't cause trouble?" She seemed more relaxed after my offer of assistance, but was still wary of the consequences.

_I am sure. Some will create a fuss about it, but when the time comes to reveal it, Sheppard and those whose opinions really matter will understand._ I bowed my head. _I am glad of the chance to speak with someone other than Sheppard for once, even if I must be touching you to do so. It is a bit… frustrating to have no one else understand me._

"You may speak with me anytime, Bri." Teyla promised.

_Thanks, Teyla._ I broke contact and trotted to the door. I wagged my tail as a sort of good-bye and left. Perhaps this punishment wouldn't be so bad after all.

***

A/N: Well? Plausible enough? I got the idea about the saline and just had to try it out. I actually did research into saline. Hope it was semi-believable (talking dog, wormholes in space, and alien cities and species aside). I really wanted to give someone for Bri to talk to besides Sheppard, but didn't want it to be just some random character. Therefore, I used Teyla's Wraith DNA as a way to circumvent the Ascended punishment rules. I love loopholes. Next up is Suspicion.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Well, humph. Suspicion is by far the shortest episode yet. In fact, it's all in this one chap. I just couldn't see the whole suspected traitor thing happening. Bri wouldn't allow it. Here is also where I make the Sheyla people mad at me. I'm sorry. I really see Shweir better than Sheyla. It's just a personal preference. Don't get me wrong, some really good fics are written as Sheyla, I just like to write Shweir. Sorry.

Chapter 13

"Raise the shield!" Weir ordered as we ran in. It was a second too late as a single stun blast came through and hit McKay in the face. I had to hide a grin.

_John, is it bad that I enjoyed that?_ I asked as they ran to check on him. Sheppard glanced over and raised an eyebrow.

"Depends. Is he hurt?" The major could hear the answer in the tone of my voice. He grinned. "If not, then no. He's been terrorizing Zelenka all week."

_It's just a stunner, no worries. The next few hours will be blissfully silent. Wraith are notorious for taking their prey alive. Of course, you know what this attack means, right?_ I looked at him seriously.

"Yeah. They've probably figured it out by now as well." He motioned to an irate Bates. Ooh, that rhymed. He came to a halt in front of Weir, out of the way of the medics who were coming to carry McKay's stunned body to the infirmary.

"Sir!" Bates snapped to attention, as precise as ever.

"Yes, Bates, I know that these are no longer a series of random coincidences. Something is giving away our position on away missions." Sheppard walked over to where the security officer was standing after making sure that McKay was in fact still breathing. Bates frowned and nodded.

"Yes, sir. Perhaps we should limit gate travel until we find the perpetrator. Starting with the Athosians." Bates was ever so predictable. And paranoid. I stepped forward and sighed.

_Sheppard._ I groaned at Bates' lack of tact. At this rate our good relations with the Athosians were going to be wrecked before lunch. Sheppard shook his head.

"No, the Athosians have nothing to do with this, I'm positive." Sheppard replied easily.

"Sir, you've been attacked on the last five out of nine missions, there has to be a leak. And respectfully, we don't know the Athosians." Bates pointed out.

_Is it not enough that I vouch for them? That I allowed them to stay?_ I growled in annoyance.

"Bri says they're okay." Sheppard defended.

"And honestly, we don't know that Bri doesn't have a hidden agenda. Or you for that matter. Perhaps you're both not who you say you are. We have no concrete proof that Bri is Ancient." Bates was insane. Utterly insane. He actually thought I was a traitor? After all I had sacrificed?

_How dare you?!_ My voice was icy and my snarling matched. My voice rose and I could see Sheppard visibly wince. _I sacrificed my life, my friends, everything to get Sheppard here. How dare you question my loyalty? I have done nothing but help. Without me, you'd have had to abandon the city a long time ago. And unless you forget, Atlantis is __my__ home, not yours. I say that the Athosians are good people, they stay._

"She takes great offense, sergeant." Sheppard's voice was deathly quiet as he relayed my answer to his accusation. Bates colored slightly.

"She's made mistakes before. How else could the last five missions have been a failure? Something's wrong." Bates was testing my last nerves. Luckily Sheppard fielded that question.

"And has anyone of my team been hurt? Have you not noticed how promptly we returned? Bri warned me this might happen. We knew the Wraith were tracking us and planned accordingly. We've stayed close to the gate and in constant radio contact." Sheppard explained while Weir and Bates stared.

"Major, how did you know this was going to happen? And more importantly, why didn't you say anything before?" Weir asked. Sheppard gave a small smirk.

"Oh, yes, the dog that speaks in my head? She has a pretty damn good idea of what's going to happen. As for why, well, there's always a possibility of screwing up the timeline. Our caution was enough, we didn't need paranoia and suspicion clouding the future." Sheppard turned to Teyla and held out a hand. "Teyla, can I have your necklace please?"

"Of course." She took the small silver necklace off and placed it in his hand. "What is wrong?"

"It's a Wraith transmitter. Not enough to find Atlantis, but certain planets have relay stations that are activated when it's on the planet. Did Beckett touch this?" Sheppard handed the necklace to Weir. She looked at it closely.

"Yes. Lieutenant Ford found it in the ruins and gave it to me. It was mine from when I was very young. Beckett noticed it during my initial check-up and commented on it's simplicity and beauty. I allowed him to hold it for a closer look. It has been giving away our position?" Teyla confirmed my suspicions. I knew that Sheppard hadn't activated it, but I still figure it was bound to have been turned on at some point in the last few weeks. Then the problem was finding a good planet to use it with. By my notes, it should be coming up very quickly.

"Unbeknownst to you, yes. It was activated when Beckett touched it. The Wraith used these to track Ancients. Now we can use it to ambush a Wraith. That is, if we ever find a suitable planet." Sheppard looked pointedly at me. I rolled my eyes.

_Sheppard, if I remembered every single address for every planet you went to in the hundreds, if not thousands, of universes I'd watched I'd be a gibbering madwoman. Be happy I remember the important ones._ I huffed out. _Besides, the planets we did visit were in no immediate danger. The scouts they sent were looking for us, not a meal. The Wraith were to focused on catching us to cull the native people._

"There is that." Sheppard admitted. "Look, Bri told me that the one timeline didn't know about the necklace and we managed to end up alienating a good portion of the Athosians by accusing them. Which, before I forget, I also need to extend the offer of moving to the mainland now. Any Athosian that wishes to farm or hunt on the mainland of this planet is free to do so. Bri informed me of a roof door on the jumper bay. From there we can get to the mainland. It's massive and can easily hold the Athosians if they want land of their own. The difference is that in other timelines the Athosians were left little option but to move to the mainland. Now they have a choice. Bri and I didn't want the same thing to happen here, but we've found out the hard way that discussing future events too far ahead can create unforeseeable consequences, sometimes even cause the event in the first place. You know that gate tech that broke his leg a week ago? We tried to warn him earlier that he was going to sprain his ankle. He spent so much time worrying about it that he missed preventing the fall. His leg was broken, not sprained. We didn't want to cause someone in SG-1 to get killed or culled."

"Very well. Have Zelenka scan that necklace for any transmitted signals to verify your suspicions." She dismissed Bates with a wave of her hand. The man almost looked disappointed. Teyla left to take the transmitter, leaving us with Dr. Weir. She frowned at the major. "Next time, John, I expect to be informed. I am the expedition leader. Don't make me regret trusting you."

"Ma'am…" He trailed off, shrugging helplessly.

_It's OK. She's a good woman, she can help. I trust her not too screw us up. Besides… you need her support._ I nodded in agreement. He grinned.

"I will, Dr. Weir. I just wanted to do this one solo. Had to prove to myself that I could prevent anything from messing up at least once." He smirked. She smiled.

"Good, I'm glad that we have that settled. And John?" She called as we turned away. "You can call me Elizabeth, you know."

"Thank you, Elizabeth." He grinned again, his eyes almost sparkling. He waved and we headed to the infirmary to wait for McKay to wake up. Along an empty corridor, though, he paused. He thought a second and finally asked the one question I had been expecting for a long time now. "Do you think she likes me? I mean, did we have something in the other timelines?"

_Some you did, some you didn't. I will tell you this: I can protect you from the IOA and Earth politics. I've seen you regret not having something with her because of the rules. I don't know if I can prevent everything, but I do know this, you have a chance of falling in love with her. Don't let that slip through your fingers. _I responded. _She's worth the risk._

***

A/N: Hopefully it isn't too shabby. On the upside, it is longer. Tried to find some loophole to make this interesting, but it really irked me in the series when they had the whole mistrust issue. I basically deleted it (except for Bates because it's nice to have a paranoid soldier to hate on). So… tell me what you think. Please?


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: It's been a while, I know. I have to admit that I'm a bit put out by one of the reviews. It almost felt like a flame and it really hurt my ability to write on this. Of course, there is the fact that I have actually started about three or four new AUs that were bombarding my muse with ideas for. Still, here's a new chap. It's rather short as I don't think Bri would let Childhood's End happen.

***

"Was that turbulence, sir?" Ford asked as the jumper shook slightly. Sheppard looked a bit unnerved.

"I don't know." He replied uneasily. I narrowed my eyes in thought. "Bri?"

_Jumpers don't experience turbulence… well unless you happen to be flying inside the corona of a red giant and that was only once on a dare. I'm not sure what that was._ I answered thoughtfully. A stare of incredulity followed. _I was shielded! And I won the bet._

"Right. Is that 'I'm not sure' as in maybe, but I don't remember what or as in holy crap this is new and we're all about to die?" He listed out the possibilities and it was my turn to stare.

_Why does everything have to be either/or with you? Have Rodney check for energy sources. _I waited as Rodney ran a scan.

"Ok, right, there's one right there." He pointed it out on the HUD. "Let's get a closer look."

_No!_ I immediately overrode Sheppard's control and stopped the jumper in midair. Everyone stared at the major for a second and he pointed to me defensively.

"Wasn't me! How'd you do that? It just stopped working for me!" Sheppard sounded pissed. I shrugged.

_I pulled rank. Besides, I figured out what the turbulence was about. If I'm right, we need to land right here and go the rest of the way on foot. This planet is probably the one with EM shielding and if we go any farther we'll drop out of the sky with no power. And I don't fancy walking all the way to the gate to get a team to pull this sucker out of the ground._ I explained. _Um… you can land here if you want. Sorry for taking over._

"It's okay. I'd just appreciate a little warning next time, that's all." He grabbed the controls and slowly eased us straight down. We set down and Sheppard filled Rodney in.

"EM shielding? That's amazing! If we could study it, it could be a great asset to Atlantis. Assuming, of course, that we used only Ancient crystals to run the place and not our own equipment." Before McKay could get started, I had to shut him down.

_Actually, no. We're gonna go here for one main reason. The kids are killing themselves and we need to stop it. If Rodney promises not to touch the thing until he's positive he can put it back right and we've already disabled any Wraith distress beacons in the protected area, then he can play with the thing to increase the size of the protected area so they don't have to use their form of population control._ I spat out, slightly disgusted. Sheppard's brow furrowed.

"Population control?" He repeated, confused.

_Every one you'll meet here is less than twenty-five for one simple reason. On their twenty-fifth birthday they commit suicide because they believe the sacrifice will prevent the Wraith from coming. In reality, it was a way to prevent the population from growing so large that it spilled out from under the protective EM shields. _I answered, growling slightly. _This is gonna suck 'cuz I'm probably gonna have to play the dumb animal so they don't think you're blasphemers. If we have any chance of getting them to believe us, they have to know you're there to help and not to ruin their belief system._

"That is awful." Teyla whispered after the major filled them in.

_It's not the worst thing Pegasus has to offer, trust me. My people always did things big, even screwing up._ I answered bitterly. _Now shall we go meet the kids? And try to ease into the whole situation. Keras is actually pretty smart, but he's about to turn 25 tomorrow if I'm right and Ares is… well he seemed like a bastard in the other timelines. Actually tried to force Keras into his suicide after you showed up. Not to mention the fact he tried to order you killed before you could fix the E.M. shield after Rodney broke it. I'm holding a grudge._

* * *

It turned out that we were actually a day late and walked straight into Keras's ceremony. It pissed everyone off when we stopped him and then McKay had to mention Ares' name before we'd been introduced and all hell broke loose for a few minutes. We had them thinking we were the Wraith in disguise who could read minds and had come to steal their souls. Finally Sheppard gave in and admitted that I had clued them in and that what they were doing was just wrong. I kind of stood there looking pensive (what else does an Ancient look like?). Keras was more than a little relieved that he didn't have to kill himself, Ares was plain mad that he didn't get to assume the 'throne' after Keras offed himself, and I was ecstatic that we'd managed to successfully head off at least one bad mission. Finally I was seeing progress.

* * *

A/N: And there you have it. Reviews anyone? Also… I have a new story that I'm really enjoying writing (called Not Alone: The Atlantis Continuum) that's in the crossover section. It hasn't got a whole lot of hits, but it does pretty much feature SGA. So… see you next time!


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: This is another short chapter, but again there's not much that needs to change in this episode. It's mainly for emotional impact. The main difficulty was deciding where Bri should step in and put a stop to the drug. And then I just got finished with my freshman year at college, so I now have a lot more time to write. YAY!

Chapter 15

"How soon until you can set up the next stage of testing?" Druhin asked Perna anxiously. Beckett sighed.

"There won't be one. Not yet." He interrupted the Hoffans celebration. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this."

"What do you mean, Carson?" Perna was confused, understandably so. Beckett walked over to the door and let me and Major Sheppard come in from where we'd been essentially eavesdropping.

"There can't be a next stage yet." Major Sheppard answered briskly. I sat carefully and watched the Hoffans with a sad heart.

"There must be! We are so close! The tests show…" Perna argued.

"We have the formula." Durhin reminded us. "We can create the formula on our own if you are unwilling to help us go any farther. Our people will be safe from the Wraith."

_No. They won't._ I spoke quietly, allowing John to translate. I had kept silent before, not wanting to influence the Hoffans' decisions.

"Perna, I'm sorry. The formula you have has been altered to render it harmless. It will do nothing." Beckett informed them sadly. It had hurt him to lie to Perna and everyone, but he understood what was at stake.

"Why would you do this? Why would you lead us on like that? The entire formula is useless? The results are false?" She was upset. Very upset.

"The formula exists and the results in the lab were honest. The copies and information we gave you was altered. We were giving you the benefit of the doubt as it was. You have to understand, this is for your own safety." Sheppard corrected her gently. The Hoffans were beginning to frown in anger. Durhin reached over to trigger something. An alarm no doubt. I growled and forced him to back off. Sheppard continued, unfazed, to explain who I was and what I was doing here. They looked doubtful.

_John, translate for me._ I ordered. He nodded and I addressed the Chancellor directly. _You are desperate and impatient. Hoff is a child compared to my or Major Sheppard's people. You have no idea what the consequences of your choices can be and, if we allowed this to go on far enough, you would refuse to even listen to those that know better than you. Your actions would have doomed all of Hoff._

"The Wraith would leave us alone if this succeeded though!" Durhin protested. I shook my head.

_The formula, as it is right now, will cause severe respiratory distress and multiple organ failure in about fifty percent of the entire Hoffan population. Your world's population would be halved in one week._ I responded calmly, trying to keep the dismay out of my voice. I ultimately failed as I continued on to the rest of the bad news. _And that's not all. The formula isn't just a preventative measure. It will interact with the Wraith enzyme and create a poison that will kill any Wraith that feeds on someone inoculated with the drug._

"That is even more of a reason to continue with the testing!" Durhin insisted.

_The Wraith aren't in the habit of allowing their food to kill them. I've seen it happen in numerous other universes. Hoff will be obliterated and her people hunted down and slaughtered. Your entire culture, your customs and history, will be destroyed if you go through with these tests and inoculate your people prematurely._ I was growing angry at the stupidity of these people. They were willing to risk themselves and their planet in a fruitless bid to escape the horror of a Wraith culling. The Wraith were a scourge, true, but the insanity and desperation necessary to rush into such a plan was idiotic. _The Hoffan drug is an important feature in the future and it was necessary for us to deceive you to get your notes on it. But we can't just stand by and watch you condemn your entire planet to destruction and death. Trust me; you are extremely young compared to both Atlanteans and the Tau'ri. You mean well, but you have no idea of what you'll bring down on your people if you do this._

A/N: So there it is, short and sweet. The Hoffan drug should be created, but I can't see that Bri would allow Merrel to die in vain when she knew what was going to happen and the potentially catastrophic consequences the tests would create. Don't be afraid to tell me what you think, but please: no flames.


End file.
